current linesA monthly publication for Tri-County EMC members

April 2016

Co-op Welcomes CEO, Cooperative Solar

Bright Ideas Grants

Walter Harrison Scholarship, Right-of-Way Maintenance

Relay Raffle, Recipe BoxIn this issue:

page 1 page 2 page 3 page 4

Co-op Welcomes CEO Tri-County EMC’s Board of Directors has named Ray Grinberg to the position of chief executive officer. Ray has served as general manager of Lakeview Light and Power in Lake-wood, WA since 2014. He will succeed C. Hill Bentley, who has led the cooperative since 1999. Grinberg begins his duties on May 16.

Following the announcement, Brenda Green, Tri-County EMC board chairman, commented, “The Board of Directors is thrilled to bring a great manager, community leader and team player for the members of Tri-County.”

Grinberg has over 30 years of utility experience. Prior to Lakeview Light and Power, Ray served as the power resources director at Peninsula Light Company in Gig Harbor, WA. He began his career at Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Ore. working in power supply and power trading. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Oregon State Uni-versity and a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Oregon.

"Tri-County EMC is a great organization and I thank the Board for giving me the opportunity to be its CEO,” said Grinberg. “I am looking forward to moving to Georgia and joining the Tri-County EMC family."

Ray and his wife Diana have been married for 26 years. Diana is an elementary school science teacher in Gig Harbor, WA. They have two chil-dren. Diana and Ray enjoy travelling, playing golf and enjoying winter trips to Arizona and Palm Springs. They also enjoy cooking and working in their garden.

Tri-County EMC Introduces Cooperative Solar Introducing ourSolar, Tri-County EMC’s new cooperative solar program. With

ourSolar, Tri-County EMC members have the opportunity to get solar genera-tion for your home or business without any of the risks of installing solar panels on your roof or property. The energy for ourSolar will come from our new 1 MW solar array in Putnam County, which will begin generating electricity in May 2016.

For $25 per month for each 1.22kW block, you will have all of the energy gener-ated by your block credited against the normal usage on that month’s electric bill. Each block should generate approximately 160 to 250 kWh per month. Best of all, there is nothing to install or finance and no contract. You can end your participa-tion at any time, although to rejoin you must wait twelve months.

About ourSolar: When completed this spring, our 1 MW solar site will be the largest and the first of its kind in our area. The 10 acre site will have over 4,400 solar panels and gen-erate over 2 million kWhs per year. The facility will be located adjacent to our Eatonton District Office in Putnam County. “Many of our members have asked for a solar option,” said Greg Mullis, Tri-County EMC senior vice president. “This project makes economic and environmental sense. In the long run, it will pay for itself and offer our members a no risk solar option.”

• No installation or maintenance costs for you• No holes in your roof• Lower costs per kWh through economies of scale• No issues with shading or roof direction• Renters or homeowners with restrictive covenants can participate• No up-front costs, financing, or long-term contracts• Limited to 4 blocks per account

Cooperative Solar Advantages:

Learn More and Enroll: To learn more or to enroll, visit tri-countyemc.com/cooperativesolar.cms or give us a call at 1.866.254.8100 or 478.986.8100.

Bright Ideas Grants Reward Classroom Innovation

Last month, Tri-County EMC surprised 26 local teachers with $30,000 in educational grants. Since 2008, Tri-County EMC has provided nearly $160,000 in grants to local schools through the Bright Ideas Grant Pro-

gram. Funded by unclaimed capital credits, the grants help teachers improve education in their classrooms through innovative projects that would other-wise not be funded. From books to iPads to drones, Bright Ideas Grants fund classroom projects that help spark a love of learning in students.

A list of winning projects and teachers can be found below. For more information about the Bright Ideas Grant Program, visit us online at tri-countyemc.com/bright-ideas.cms.

Monica Daniel Blandy Hills Elementary SchoolStep into Math and Science: $1,152.00

Yvonne Thompson Blandy Hills Elementary SchoolMath in Armed Forces Careers: $811.00

Lee Blount Baldwin Early Learning CenterSOS…Sensory on the Spot: $752.87

Clay McElheney GMC Preparatory SchoolKinematics of Water Rockets: $1,065.90

Shannon Smith Clifton Ridge Middle SchoolNews in the Classroom: $1,175.68

Pamela Elkins Clifton Ridge Middle SchoolCubes and Calculations: $1,025.00

Kristen Beaver Gray Elementary SchoolAnts in the Pants: $1,485.16

Monica Tritto Gray Elementary SchoolTo The Beat of Their Own Bucket Drum: $674.13

April Wade Jones County High School Adobe Cloud Software/Paw Print Designs, $1,495.00

Jessica Smith Jones County High SchoolVirtual Business: $1,500

Kristi Harley Jones County Pre-KCooking in the Classroom: $995.20

Jamy Meeks Jones County Pre-KPre-K Playground: $1,489.85

Rusty Owens Turner Woods Elementary SchoolA More STEAMulating Class-room: $1,465.76

Danielle Wheeler Wells Elementary SchoolSight Word Central: $497.58

Danielle Adams Wells Elementary SchoolBuilding Mathematicians Through Math Centers $1,194.00

Amy Marlowe Clifton Ridge Middle SchoolCougar Robotics: $1,400.00

Elizabeth Allison Wells Elementary SchoolFractured to Whole: $1,376.65

Marcina Lee Gatewood SchoolHome Ec 2015 Style: $400

Linda Walker Putnam County Elementary SchooliPad Science Lab for Student Engagement: $1,376.65

Cathy Tuel Putnam County Elementary SchoolWalk it Out at Recess: $1,349.00 April Smith Putnam County High SchoolAutism: Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration: $350

Kelly Smith Putnam County High SchoolGrow Your Own Way: $1,288.18

Mary Sue McMichael Putnam County Middle SchoolWhy Do You Always Have to Complicate Things, Rube?: $1,500.00 Becky Nipper Putnam County Middle SchoolMakerspaces, Media Center and Magic, Oh My!: $1,156.81

Holly Hardie Putnam County Primary SchoolMath and Movement: $1,402.39

Daphne Todd Wilkinson County Middle SchoolI Can See Clearly Now: $1,497.84

2016 Bright Ideas Grant Winners

The next deadline for applications will be due December 7, 2016. A detailed list of this year’s projects, as well as photos of each check presentation, can be found on our website at tri-countyemc.com/bright-ideas.cms.

Find Out More...

Last month, Stephanie Sanchez of Putnam County was chosen as winner for the local area competition in the Walter Harrison Scholarship Contest. She was awarded

a gift card from the cooperative and will go on to compete in the statewide competition. Cooperatives from around the state invite students to take part in this state-wide scholar-ship contest. Winners from each cooperative will go on to compete in the state contest. This year, seven $1,000 scholarships will be awarded by the Walter Harrison Scholarship Executive Committee in mid-April. (1421002)

About Stephanie...Stephanie is a senior at Putnam County High School in Eatonton and plans to attend Agnes Scott University in the fall. During her high school career, Stephanie was active in JROTC, Cross Country, Skills USA, 4-H, Key Club and the Future Business Leaders of America. At Agnes Scott, Stephanie plans to study neuroscience and then attend graduate school and medical school. Congratulations, Stephanie!

Walter Harrison Scholarship Finalist

Right-of-Way Seasonal Maintenance BeginsIn May, Tri-County EMC will work with NaturChem for herbicide application to keep trees, brush and foliage from interfering with the delivery of your electric service. Overgrown trees and other vegetation within 20 feet of overhead power lines are trimmed year-round. Each site is trimmed every seven years. Herbicide is applied to brush annually with each quadrant of the service area treated every four years. This year’s herbicide application will oc-cur mostly in eastern Putnam County. The map to the right shows the general area where the maintenance will occur. For a full list of addresses that will be affected, visit tri-countyemc.com and click on Your Energy then click on Right of Way. Only nonrestrictive, nonre-sidual chemicals are used. Landscaped areas such as lawns, streams or ponds will not be sprayed. (12063001) When planting trees this spring, always be sure to observe the 20 foot clearance on each side of a power line. It is important to keep trees, limbs and climbing plants away from power lines to prevent outages and power blinks. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tri-County EMC at 1.866.254.8100.

Greene County

Putnam County

Morgan County

Baldwin County

Did you find your account number?

Find your complete account number in this issue of Current Lines and win a $50 bill credit. Call 478.986.8126 to claim your bill credit.

current lines Monthly Publication for

Tri-County EMC Members Kim Broun, Editor

Communications Specialist

P.O. Box 487Gray, GA 31032478.986.8100FAX 478.986.4733www.tri-countyemc.com

Recipe Box

Thanks to Karen Powers of Jones County for submitting this recipe. Did you know your recipe is worth $20 if chosen? Send your best recipes to kimb@tri-countyemc.com or mail to P.O. Box 487, Gray, GA 31032.

• 1/2 lbs. diced bacon, cooked• 1/2 head chopped cabbage• 1/2 tsp. canola oil• 1/2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Stir Fry Cabbage

Stir-fry cabbage in canola oil over medium-high heat until crisp, but wilted. Add bacon, soy sauce, and sesame oil to wok or pan. Stir-fry until done. Add additional soy sauce if needed and toss to coat. With two wooden spoons or spatulas, continue cooking and tossing until cabbage is crisp-tender. Serve as a hot side dish. Makes two servings.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Owned By Those We Serve

You Could Win a Fit Bit BlazeTM

Name:_________________________________

Phone Number:_________________________

Heart Rate Monitor, GPS, On-Screen Workouts, Activity Monitor, Music Control, Call, Text & Calendar Alerts & More WINNER ANNOUNCED ON FACEBOOK ON MAY 13

# of Raffle Tickets Purchased:____________

Pricing: 1 ticket for $1, 15 tickets for $10 No limit on the amount of tickets purchased.

Return Ticket to Tri-County EMC Checks Payable to American Cancer Society

Amount Enclosed: ____$_________________

Raffle to Benefit American Cancer Society

To purchase a ticket, please complete the form shown above and mail it, along with your total, to Tri-County EMC, Attn: Raffle, PO BOX 487, Gray, GA, 31032. Tickets can also be purchased at the Gray office. Checks are acceptable and can be made to the American Cancer Society. The last day to purchase tickets is May 14. The winner will be announced on Tri-County EMC’s Facebook page on May 15. The winner will also be notified by phone. (74729001)

C. Hill Bentley, CEO

Board of DirectorsBrenda P. Green, Chairman Sammy Hall, Vice-ChairmanThomas Noles, Secretary/TreasurerGeorge “Buck” Comer, Dan Greene, Sammy Hall, Chester Mercer, Marion Nelson, Cecil Patterson, Mike Rainey